Injectable Safety

Today marks the opening of Phase 1 of the redeveloped Sunshine Plaza. It also marks the opening of a new discount skin and laser clinic offering cosmetic injectables, which has led me to reflect…

I’m all for industry growth. We now have the tools to “turn back the clock”, and do it relatively safely, effectively, and affordably. Injectable treatments (anti-wrinkle, dermal fillers) have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. Social media, reality TV shows, celebrity influencers have all contributed to the rise of injectable treatments and destigmatization of having them, which used to be “hush hush”, done only by the rich, and behind closed doors of Plastic Surgeries. This increase in demand has led to a relative “oversupply” of people offering these procedures. The cost of treatments are at an all-time low, and exposure to these services at an all-time high.

These days you can get injectable treatments down any street, performed by people with extensive but also very limited experience. These prescription medications range from the very cheap, to the premium products, and because of advertising guidelines, you may not know what you’re getting. Products can be ordered overseas, contain unknown ingredients, stored incorrectly, or be expired. They can be injected by non health care professionals in homes or beauty salons.

What’s most concerning, is the discounting of treatments, and how quick many are to shop by price. Take the chain laser and skin clinics for example. There has been a price war for the past 5+ years, which has driven down treatment costs. However, you need to think about how this is compensated for. Off the top of my head, clinics do some, or all of the following:

Use “cheap” and inexperienced injectors to perform treatments

Cut corners with training injectors, as time and training costs money

Utilising Doctors/prescribers with limited to no experience in cosmetic treatments

instilling sales targets and commission structure, so you’ll often leave your appointment being over-treated, or feel pushed in to having a treatment

More and more, I’m finding that nurses (in particular) fresh out of university are getting jobs as injectors with no experience, and training offered to them is minimal. A well known franchised clinic has recently moved away from weeks of training and shadowing to two days of hands-on injecting prior to treating clients. Think about that. The person doing your injectable treatment may have only TWO DAYS of injecting. Coupled with this, they often utilise prescribers/Doctors who are interstate who may have no experience in cosmetic injectables, or managing/treating complications. Would you trust your face with them?

This is a recipe for disaster. It’s also important to consider the following: when I consult, roughly a third of clients are more appropriate for a treatment that’s NOT an injectable, and we plan appropriately. If you go to see an injector who is on commission, they may push you towards the wrong treatment for you.

Cosmetic injectables are an unregulated industry. There is no college of aesthetic medicine. There are currently no standards. This will hopefully soon change. In the recent year there has been a death in Sydney from a botched backroom cosmetic surgical procedure, and a case of blindness from dermal filler treatment. This has led to a parliamentary review of how to best achieve safety and standards in the industry. I am hopeful of the outcome.

In the meantime, I encourage you to get multiple consults. And ask the following questions at a bare minimum from your injector:

How long have you been injecting?

Roughly how many procedures have you done?

What products do you use, and where do they come from?

What local doctor do you use in case of complications?

And always consider a second opinion before going ahead with treatment. At Inject Skin we’re happy to sit with you for a 30 minute complimentary consult to go over what others have recommended, and ensure that what you’re getting is most appropriate for you.